Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-08
APATnETIC N1a eTeRY.

lFyon ~ PAitadelphia Eees
A LycominR eoanty farmer. blessed
By the p0asesaion Of broad acres and fat
cattle, and fatser etsh account. bad
afvsn bis Eve sous moFs pFeeioas than
an else beside--that the Usion miabt be
preserved. His name was Rsnkin. HIS
wife VS. dead and be boys ueFs his
only Bolaos, bas when var against bic
c0untFy vas declared be feIs - did Vol
unanis, the mother Of CoTiolanus. when
she said; Had dozen sons. each 10
my love alike, had rather have eleven
die n0biy for thsir country than one
voluptnonaly sarfeif ouf Of aetion." So
The Rankin boys sent 70 confront grim
visaQed var. The life blood Of two Of
them made more fertile the rank ar0gta
Of the peninsula and their bodies lay un.
claimed amid tho thousands who bad
gone down 10 the shock Of battle. The
bowed bat not broken father came 20
the governors 0fics 10 HAgrisbuFR With
bis tale Of woe. Andrew Curtiu never
turned Q deaf ear 10 snch A. be. He said:
sYOu are too old q man 10 so after your
sons bodies. ] viii send q messenger
for them and you eaB rest assured that
you viii be snabied 10 give them burial"
And this Vas done.
After lthe second battle OF Manassas
the aged farmer again entered the ex
ecutive chamber, and, without saying
word, seated hiwsslf. The governor
recognized him az once, aRd thouRnt,
"(lan Il be that this old man has been
sffiicted aQain7" he babe him ap-
pFoaeh. The visitors voice vas broken.
but his tears Did not fall as be said,
Governor, another Of them has gone.
For q moment Mr.. Curtin could not
speak. He silently wTnne the horny
hand Of the despoilsd father. When be
found voiee be said:
on must not go. ! will send for
him. You shall see him sgain."
And this WAS dane.
when news Of the battle Of Gsttys-
burg reached Harrisburg. Governor
Curtin travsled rapidly across the ooun-
Try and viewed that memorable conflict.
After It's conclusion he returned to
HarFishuTgeHd vas seated late at night
Ia his room when again Rankin entered
without = word aud silently seated
himself upon a chair. my q a !"
thought Mr.. Curtin sit cannot be that
the bios has fallen upon this old man
again" lie could set bring himself to
ask the question, aud for fully fifteeR
minutes the two men sat In that room,
their heads upon their hands, and
neither uttered A.word. AZ last the old
man said, ~ be aseadied his voice:
Governor, the other two are gone"
The other twOl This Is terrible"
"fes, governor, the other two. They
have taken them all"
de wished pass to enter the lines
that be might take home his silent sons
"You are too DID," said the Anguished
governor. II will send for them aud
they ahall be taken home"
And this vas done.
After Governor Curtin had returned
10 this ooantry at the close Of his Ave
years residence al the court Of Russia.
he was IN PHILADELPHIA when ii Was in
timated 10 him that Mr.. Rankin, who
was still alive, would be highly delight
ed II hil benefaetor would pay hin a
visit when she CT m uisler wss on his
way 90 his home IN Centre county. Mr.
Ourtir said that he would comply With
the wish, and when be reached the rail
road station nearest the LycOmiug
county farmers home. he found The old
man waiting for him with a carriage.
That evneing'the people ~ the surround
ing country, AZ Mr.. RAnkin's bidding,
locked 10 do honor 90 the ex governor
The next morning. after psrtakiug OF a
breakfast such as only Pennsylvania
farmhouse can produce, the aged aeri-
culturtst Invited Mr. Curtin TO Join hisl
IN n walk. lie led the way 90 a wooded
knoll near the house, and atop which
was beautifully sodasd inclozn =, sur
rounded BY Al iron railing. Within Il
ware ave graves aud i've hsadsiones,
The old man pointed t9watds them and
simply said; Governor. there they lie. -
Both men hsWed their heads and
neither uttered sord. In few me-
msnts Rankin turned away with 9
CHEEKY remark about Cd surrounding
country, and from that moment during
she two days' festivities that succeeded
Mr.. Curtin's arrival, the deaolAts father
never again referred 10 his sleeping sons.
pafkAtfe isn't ftP